The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-05-12
THE sTAKED pL AIN.
Interesting Description of Sec.
ton Once Thought to be a
Barren Waste.

EsTAcADo, Crosby Co., May 9, 1887.
To the Editor of the Statesman:
The Llano Estacado! How maay read
ers of this article, who were school boys
and girls twenty-five or thirty years ago,
remember being taught that the Llano
Estacado was great sandy plain, whose
dreary wastes stretched from the interior
of New Mexico down into Texas, and, as
the maps of those days indicated, as far
south as Mitchell and Taylor counties are
now located?
"What is the meaning of Llano Esta-
cado?" "A staked plain" why is it
called a staked plain!" Because the
traders from Santa Fe placed a line of
stakes across it to guide them in their
trips to the settlements in the south
east"
This was the geography of futile
country quarter of a century ago.
As the Indians were driven back the
hardy pioneer pushed forward to rear his
cabin and lay the foundation of heritage
for his children. These sandy wastes be-
came more and more myth, until now
the section of country to which the name,
Llano Estacado, is confined, is a great,
grassy plateau, whose southern edge
crosses the lower parts of Lubbock, Cros-
by and Dickens counties.
As the traveller approaches the plains
he sees its whole outlines towering up be-
fore him, appearing like mountain
chain, without the appearance of peaks.
Upon nearer approach he finds what
appeared to be mountains, is tall, pre-
clpitous cliff, 200 TO 800 feet high, stretch
ing as far as the eye can see, from right
to left, with a smooth, even top. At in
tervals a gorge cuts its way into the
plain, only for short distance, to end in
the same precipitous manner as the out
side cliffs. Occasionally part of the
bluff will be detached, and stand out by
itself, Its top bearing the same tabletop
resemblance to the surrounding cliffs.
With great labor the traveller reaches
the plain above, to find stretching before
him a great, smooth, grassy, plateau,
bringing to his mind that perhaps here
the Creator of the universe had, at the
creation, laid out vast parade ground
upon which to marshal the armies of
Heaven; not hillock, nor so much as a
mole-hill, not brush or shrub mars its
smooth, grassy surface.
Here let me state, Tor the
benefit of those who have
never been upon plain, that the
vision is limited to paratively'
area, owing to the rotundity of the
earth's surface, very materially contract
ing the horizon. The distance at which
the feet of a man approaching can first
be seen is less than two miles. peculi-
arity about plain is that the surface, as
it recedes from the observer, seems to
rise, giving the appearance of one stand
ing in great basin.
There are upon the Llano Estacado
what are called basins-saucer like de-
pressions in the surface-covering from
| 3 to 300 acres. These are the receptacles
for the water that falls upon the plains
The larger ones retain their water great
part of the year, providing drink for the
herds of cattle and antelope that Craze
upon the luxuriant grasses of this section
| As the traveller continues his journey
across the plains he has the mirage almost
constantly in view. There before him, Its
waters stirred by the wind, lies a large
lake. Upon its shore forest invites the
tired traveller to rest beneath its shade
This, his guide informs him, is no lake
and forest, but the deceitful mirage
Further on he suddenly stays hi'
footsteps, for there before
him in the heavens, in very
flesh and blood, are herd of antelope'
treading on air. Again his guides as
sures him that the antelopes are real, bu
that their elevated appearance is owing
to the mirage.
A sunset upon the plains is sigh
never to be forgotten. Poets may sing
and artists paint sunset at sea, but
sadness and loneliness that cannot b.
cast off, comes over the observer as h
sees the tgod of light sink into the darl
deep waters of the sea, leaving behind NJ
promise of a return. How different is
sunset on the plains; Phebus drives hi
fiery horses adown the western sky, as
seeking rest upon the grassy and howe
bedecked plain beneath, after the fatlgueI
of his journey from the east.
There are no mountain or bold head
lands whose dark sides are forecast o.
the darkness soon to be cast over thu
scene. But gradual mellowing of light
which is taken up and continued for
time after the fiery orb has set, by shee
of gold. marking his resting place. 81
insensible does the change from sunligh
to twilight come on, that the lark con
tinues his song, and the chirp of the spar
row is heard as he seeks foot
for his young. Finally, night slowl!
draws her dark curtain over tn
tableau as If unwilling to shut out tn
beautiful sight from the face of nature
With sense of pleasure you turn from
the sight feeling assured that the god wht
has sought for his nights rest so flower!
couch will rise on the morrow with new
and inyigorated, strength.
These plains are the natural home of thu
antelope; also, the feet-footed mustang,de
pendants of the warehouses; of the invading
Spaniards whose first appearance struck
terror to the hearts of ths warriors o.
Montezuma.
At the brakes of the plains the hunter
who seeks noble game is amply rewarded
Here in the deep gorges and canons, live
the black bear panther, cougar, lobo anC
wild cat. In the level country back from
the foot of the plains are deer, turkey ant
the Mexican or blue quail.
The skunk is the scourge Of the plains
There are two varleties-the large striped
skunk and the small black one. The small
black skunk the cowboy fears more thar
he does the rattlesnake. Crawling arounC
at night it frequently finds its way into {
camp, when, without warning, it attacks
the sleeping camper, infiicting wound
upon the face and hands that have occa
sionally proven fatal.
- Cn.,v Jar, o,,D sbrplr Tlia